There's a truly incredible post at Money Inc. that says Arden Arcade is the 6th most-desirable (AKA affluent) neighborhood in the Sacramento region - ahead of places like Curtis Park (#8), El Dorado Hills (#9), Folsom (#10)  and Fair Oaks (#11)! Here's the text about Arden Arcade from the post:

"Arden-Arcade stands as one of Sacramento’s most established and diverse affluent communities. This unincorporated area sits just east of downtown Sacramento and encompasses several prestigious neighborhoods.

The community includes some of Sacramento’s finest residential areas like Sierra Oaks, Arden Park, Arden Oaks, and Del Norte Woods. These neighborhoods feature elegant homes with generous lots that cater to refined lifestyles.

Arden Oaks represents the pinnacle of luxury within the area, with average home prices reaching around $2 million. The neighborhood offers relaxed vibes combined with an unbeatable location.

Wealthy sections typically concentrate east of Watt Avenue and north of Fair Oaks Boulevard. These areas remain tucked away from major commercial streets while maintaining easy access to urban amenities.

The community combines suburban tranquility with proximity to shopping centers, parks, and the American River."

OK, OK, they are essentially talking about neighborhoods within zip code 95864, which DOES rank up there. But if you look at census data for Arden Arcade and our other zip codes (95825 and 95821), you get a different story. The census records show that in 2023 the median hopusehold income in 95864 was $129,083, whereas the median income for 95825 was $64,264 and for 95821 it was $58,331. As a Census-Designated Place (CDP), Arden Arcade's median income was $71,767. By comparison, Sacramento County's median income was $88,724, the City of Sacramento's was $83,753 and for the unincorporated Carmichael CDP it was $84,376.

Census data like that are readily available online. Why Money Inc. cherry-picked is a secret from inside their newsroom. Misleading as Money Inc's article is, though, we love our community and we think it is sort of nice to be "ranked" so high up. Could it be because of our diversity? Oh, wait, no. It 's got to be our abundance of fast food chicken sandwich places. Ha, ha! Take THAT, El Dorado Hills and Folsom!